US Constitution and the Federalist and Anti-Federalist views for House of Representatives

Today, we are discussing the United States Constitution: Articles 4-7 as well as the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Arguments regarding the House of Representatives…..

Federalist

What is a Federalist? It was a title given to a group of people who believed in forming a stronger central government than the one that existed under the Articles of Confederation (which were inadequate). Because of this, many of our founding Fathers felt we needed a stronger government. The Anti-federalists were concerned with a stronger central government – taking us back to the tyranny experienced in Europe

Federalist papers

This was a series of letters/articles – written articles that were posted in news papers each week – sometimes several per week. These were aimed at the representatives of NY – to agree and ratify the new constitution. At the time, NY was a very big state, as well as politically powerful and economically wealthy.

Anti-Federalists

These individuals were on the opposite side of the Federalists, they did not want a stronger central government. They were concerned the US would return to the same tyranny experienced in Europe.

Anti Federalist papers

The Anti-Federalist would reply to the Federalist papers – it was an open debate via the newspaper.

House of Representatives

As the two sides, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists considered the requirements for the House of Representatives, they had to identify: Who should serve and how long should they serve as Representative.

The Federalists wanted to look at experience/history to guide them. They thought a person who was 25, 7 years a citizen of the US and at the time of the election lived int he state they were to represent and they should have to be re-elected every two years.

The Anti-Federalists were concerned that if someone served for 2 years, they could take advantage of their position. Some objected to election by the general population. They were concerned that the people were too gullible and they wanted the State Legislature to select the State Senators and the Representatives. However, some did think the people should be able to provide their opinion, through identifying their choices for the position of Representative, but that the State Senators would select.

The Federalists argued back that these people could not constantly stand for re-election because they would not have an opportunity to really learn their position and what if there was some type of issue with their election – this could impact those whom they were to represent. However, the Federalists did not want them to serve more than two years, for the same reasons the Anti-Federalists were concerned for more than one year.

One of the most important features about selecting someone for the House of Representatives, is that this person should be known by a good number of people int he community they would be represented. This helps keep them accountable. Today, because our population is bigger, it can be difficult to truly know our representatives. However, the idea was to truly make this person very accountable to their local constituents.

US Constitution Article 4

Section 1

Full Faith and Credit Clause: Whatever is legal in one state, is typically recognized to be legal in another state (acts, legal proceedings). For example, your drivers license. Without the Full Faith and Credit Clause, you would have to get a drivers license in every state you wanted to drive in. This doesn’t mean that the state driving speeds from one state transfer to another state, you are still responsible for following the laws for driving in the various individual states. The same holds true for your marriage license. If a man/woman travels from one state to another, that license is still valid. There are situations in same-sex marriages where the marriage license is not transferred. This will be based on the vote of the people in the various states that have not identified marriage as being same-sex, but between a man and a woman. This is a highly contentious religious and political issue being fought out in our states and courts right now.

Section 2

Citizens of each state shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states. If you legally commit an act in one state and go to another state (where it is not legal), you are not guilty of a crime. Example, if your state deems it illegal to kill an animal, but you go to another state and go on a legal hunting trip, you are not guilty of a crime.

If a person commits a crime or felony (or treason) and yet you run to another state and you are caught, the state that catches you is responsible for sending you back to the state in which you committed a crime. However, that state should have a hearing to prove that you did indeed commit that crime, first.

Section 3

New states can be formed by congress. However, a new state can not be formed within a state. However, two states can join forming one state if both state legislatures and Congress vote YES. You can also have to (touching parts) of states create a new state, if the Legislation approves

Section 4

The United states will guarantee a republican form of government to every state. This means government by the people’s representatives: the type of government our founding Fathers created for us: Of By and For the people

Article 5

Identifies how we can change the United States Constitution. This requires going through the Amendment process.

Article 6

Discusses the debts that were owed by the United States before the adoption of the Constitution – that the US would still owe and be required to pay those debts.

This also states that the Senators and Representatives, etc in the US have to swear and be bound by an oath to support the Constitution promising to uphold it. This Article also states that NO religious test should ever be required for admission to an office. This means that a test can not be given about your religion (and you can’t be disqualified based on your religion, either.)

Article 7

This article explains that 9 out of the 13 colonies would have to agree to ratify/adopt the new form of government.

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